


Vienna (College AU)

by propertyofpoeandbucky



Series: Bucky Barnes Series/Multi-Part Fics [20]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:06:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29817804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/propertyofpoeandbucky/pseuds/propertyofpoeandbucky
Summary: When Bucky went on a family trip to Vienna when he was 12, he met a very pretty girl and had his first kiss. 16 years later, he’s back in Vienna.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes & You, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/You
Series: Bucky Barnes Series/Multi-Part Fics [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189115
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

“Woah.” Bucky Barnes, age 12, muttered to himself as he stared up at the glorious Schönbrunn Palace, “This place is huge.”

“It’s so pretty!” Bucky’s 10 year old sister, Rebecca exclaimed with excitement. She was bouncing at her toes at the marvelous building. 

George Barnes, their father, approached the two with pamphlets in hand, “This place has some rich history, kiddos. And you’re gonna learn all about it in the tour!” 

The Barnes Family decided that they were going to tour Europe for the summer. They’d already visited England, France, and Spain. And now they’re in Vienna, Austria, tagging along with a tour group for the past few days. 

Bucky had stuck to his father’s side while they toured the palace, vaguely listening to what their tour guide was saying. They were lead to the apartment of Empress Maria Theresa. Bucky sighed in boredom. He wanted to explore the gardens. He saw in the pamphlet that there was a maze and he wanted to check it out. 

“You look really bored,” Bucky heard a voice beside him. His head snapped to his left to see a young girl around his age, you. He stared at you suspiciously as you chuckled, “Your parents forced you to take the tour too?” He nodded and you softly smiled, “Yeah. Same. I wanted to go to the gardens, but that isn’t until towards the end of the tour. My mom said this tour is probably an hour or two. Which is so long.” you stuck out your hand towards him, “I’m Y/N.”

“Bucky.”

“Interesting name.”

“It’s a nickname. My real name is James, but I don’t like to be called that.”

You nodded, “Alright, Bucky.” you peered over your shoulder to see that your parents were too engrossed into the tour, “Wanna get outta here?”

Bucky knew he shouldn’t leave his family, but he was just so bored and…he was curious about what mischief you might get involved with, “Okay.” you took his hand and held it tight as the tour group advanced forward but you stayed behind. Once you and Bucky were outside, you went for a brisk walk, trying to catch your breath from all the running. You saw another tour group heading towards the gardens and you just followed them. They ended up leading you right where you wanted them to: the maze. You grabbed onto Bucky’s shirt and dragged him towards the entrance. 

“Okay. So I’m gonna go in. Count to thirty and try to find me.”

Bucky looked at you as if you were crazy, “What? No! It’d be better to stick together! What if we never find each other and one of us ends up stuck in there forever!”

You snorted, “C’mon, Bucky, where’s your sense of adventure? Don’t you like to have fun?”

“I’m fun!” you gritted defensively like before. 

“Then trust me on this. If you find me, maybe you’ll get a kiss,” you say with a smirk as you start to enter the maze, “Remember, thirty seconds. Start counting!” then you ran. 

Bucky couldn’t help the smile on his face. He’d just met you and he was already starting to like you. He took a deep breath and began to count, “One…two…three…” When he reached thirty, he ran head first into the maze. Left, right, straight, right, right, “’Scuse me!” he rushed out as he passed some people, squeezing by them. Left, left, straight, left, right, left, “Y/N!” he hollered. 

“Come and find me, Bucky!” your voice echoed in the air, you sounded so far away yet so close. Bucky groaned in frustration as he continued to make his way through the maze, “Are ya close, Bucky?” your voice was a lot closer now.

“I’m gonna find ya, Y/N! Get ready!” 

He heard a giggle and it sounded like it was on the other side of the hedge! He went for a light jog making a right then a right again, catching a glance of you running around the corner. He bolted forward, his heart pumping and his breathing increasing. He found you at a dead end. Just as you turned back, he was there in front of you. 

You put your hands on your hips, that smirk on your lips once more, “Looks like you found me.”

He shrugged, a smug look on his face, “Guess so. Don’t I get a prize?”

“I suppose.” you walked over to him, grabbing him by the face and pressing your lips against his. Bucky couldn’t believe it. A kiss! His first kiss ever! Sure, it was rough and hard, but it was kiss nonetheless!

You pulled away, wiping your lips with the back of your hand, “Happy now?” Bucky remained speechless as he nodded. His face turning slightly pink. You snickered, “Okay then. How ‘bout we work on getting out of here now?”

An hour later, you and Bucky finally got through the maze. Meeting the eyes of both of your unhappy parents.

“Y/N L/N!”

“James Buchanan Barnes!”

“Where on Earth were you?!”

“Why didn’t you tell us where you went?!”

“We were so worried sick about you!”

“We had security look for you!” 

“When we get back home, you’re grounded!”

You and Bucky just looked to your feet in shame. 

“Let’s go, Y/N, now.” You dad grabbed at your wrist and tugged you away from Bucky. You worked on matching his stomping pace. Looking over your shoulder, you waved good-bye to Bucky. Bucky somberly waved back, saddened that this was probably going to be the last time he ever saw you, the girl who gave him his first kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky stares up at the Schönbrunn Palace like he did sixteen years ago. Back then, he thought this place was huge. He still does now. 

“Impressive,” Nat, his friend said as she stood beside him, “There’s probably over five hundred rooms at this place.”

“1,441 rooms to be exact,” Bucky stated, eyes still glued to the building before him. He could feel Nat’s questioning gaze and he smiled, “I came here before. When I was twelve, my family and I took a trip throughout Europe. I didn’t really appreciate it back then. But now, since I’m getting a Master’s in European History, I’m definitely taking advantage of this second chance I’m given.” 

The redhead snorted and nudged her friend with her elbow, “Well let’s head inside. Steve, Sam, and Clint are waiting for us.” she tugs on Bucky’s sleeve and they both head towards the tour group that them and their friends are assigned to.

* * *

You couldn’t believe you were here in Vienna again. You mentally cursed your twelve year old self for not appreciating this beautiful sight an history before you. You smile to yourself when you remember the young boy you ran off with. You were so disappointed that your time with him was so short-lived. Within the few hours of being in his presence, you found yourself getting a crush. Of course, you knew it would 99.9% never happened. You were strangers and probably lived at separate parts of the world. Plus, you were young!

“Y/N!” your friend, Wanda, called out your name, “C’mon! The tour is about to start!” you rush after you friend as your assigned tour group begins to head into the palace. 

Your eyes went to the ceilings and walls and everything in between. It looked exactly like it did all those years ago. Well, you really didn’t expect it to change, honestly. 

“Guys, I want a castle,” your other friend and Wanda’ brother, Pietro, stated with a sigh.

You snorted, “Yeah, like you could ever afford one.”

Pietro smirked at you, “Whoever said about me buying one? What if I end up winning the heart of a beautiful princess? You’d be the last one laughing.”

You rolled your eyes, “Yeah right. The only game you have, Pietro, is on Sims.”

Wanda snorted, hiding her laughter behind her hands, not wanting to disrupt their tour guide. Her brother stuck his tongue out at you, “You hurt my feelings, Y/N.”

You gave him a shrug, “Don’t care. Now be quiet! I wanna hear what our guide is saying!”

* * *

“Do you ever shut up?!” Bucky sneered at Sam. 

““All I’m saying it that I’d have fun christening every single-”

“I don’t wanna hear about your sex life, Wilson. I’m trying to listen!”

Sam scoffed, “Man, you act like you don’t know everything about this place anyway!”

People in front of them glared back at Sam. Steve immediately put his one hand on Bucky, the other on Sam, and pushed them away from each other so he could walk in-between them, “We seriously can’t take you two anywhere,” he grumbled.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he focused back on their tour guide as he began to explain the purpose of one of the rooms on their left. After five minutes of his informational spiel, the group continued forward. Bucky decided to stay back a bit to get a better look of the decor and the rooms. 

He peered into one, admiring the placement of the furniture and it’s baroque style. The four poster bed was so-

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he jumped at the sound of another voice, your voice

You giggled and gave him a sorry look, “My bad. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine. Guess I was too deep in admiring the room, I didn’t feel a presence.” he gestured ahead of him, “But we better go before we get lost.”

The two of you followed the tour group, but at your own pace, “Have you been here before?” you asked, glancing his way. You couldn’t help but think of how attractive he was. With the stubble on his face, his slicked back hair, and his striking blue eyes. Man, this guy looked like he was chiseled by the Gods. 

He nodded, “Yeah. When I was a kid, my family and I traveled around Europe for the summer. Although, I didn’t really care for this place when I was younger. How about you?”

“Same here. I thought the place was beautiful, but I didn’t care about the history. But I’m glad to be back here, redeeming my younger self.”

Bucky chuckled, “I understand exactly how you feel. I’m actually studying for my Master’s in European World history and when we learned about the baroque period, I became a little obsessed. Especially since this is one of the staples of that time period and I took it for granted! So now I’m,” he paused to chuckle to himself, “I’m nerding out a bit to be honest.”

“I’m a cultural studies major with a European History minor. So I understand.” you stuck out your hand, “I’m Y/N.”

Bucky shook it, a smile on his face, “I’m James, but people call me-”

“Bucky! Let’s go, man!” Clint hollered as the tour group were a lot more far ahead that you realized. 

Your eyes widened at the name, “Wait. Bucky?”

Bucky glanced at Clint and then at you, confused, “Yeah? Have we-”

“During your first time here, a twelve year old girl came up to you and convinced you to ditch your family so we could go off to the garden maze. There, you played a game of cat and mouse. If you found the girl, she’d give you a kiss.”

Bucky stood there absolutely speechless. Was it really you? The girl who gave him his first kiss? The girl that he spent his preteen years thinking about until he finally decided there was no chance of ever seeing you again?

“Y/N? Is it-You’re here? You’re _the_ Y/N? My first kiss?”

You laughed in disbelief, “I can’t believe you’re here!”

“Neither can I! How-What are the chances?! This is such a coincidence!” Bucky pulled you into a hug, “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Bucky! Dude, what’s going on? The group’s leaving!” Clint scolded his friend, and then looked at you, “Hi. I’m Clint.”

“Y/N,” you gave him a small wave.

“Are you part of our tour group? ‘Cause they’re leaving us.”

You nodded, “Right. We-We should go,” you both followed Clint to the end of the hall and up some stairs. 

* * *

For the rest of the tour, you and Bucky went back and forth telling each other about yourselves while also paying attention to the tour. You’d make comments to each other here and there, often bursting into a fit of giggles, which earned some stares and glares from other members of the tour group. You apologized every single time. 

Eventually, the tour was over and you, Bucky, and your respective friends were out in the gardens.

“Okay, sooo..how do you two know each other?” Sam asked.

“We actually met here sixteen years ago. Ditched the tour group-”

“‘Cause we were both little punks-”

“And went into the maze-”

“Which we were stuck in for about two to two and a half hours.”

You shrugged, “Worth it though.”

“Do you guys wanna have lunch on the grass altogether?” Bucky’s friend, Steve, as he introduced himself, pointed to the area where couples and families were scattered around relaxing, talking, and enjoying some food.

Wanda shook her head, “We don’t want to impose.”

“Please, it’s no problem,” Steve said with a reassuring smile.

“Y/N?” Wanda asked, turning to you for permission. 

You looked at Bucky, who was already looking at you with a hopeful gaze. You softly smiled at him and nodded, “Sure. Why not?”


	3. Chapter 3

You sat on the grass beside Bucky with your friends and his friends making up the rest of the circle. Pietro was trying to flirt with Nat, emphasis on trying. Wanda was speaking with Sam, as they traded weird and funny tourist stories. Steve and Clint were discussing what place to visit next on the itinerary. Bucky? Well Bucky was just staring at you. 

“What?” you asked with a giggle.

He couldn’t help but laugh, “I just-I can’t believe you’re here. Who would’ve thought that we’d be here in the same place sixteen years later?”

“I didn’t, that’s for sure.”

“You know, you’ve grown up into a very beautiful woman.”

You bowed your head a bit, shying away from the compliment, “Thank you, Bucky. And you’ve grown into a very strapping young man, yourself.” your compliment made him giggle. 

“Thanks,” he looked down, seeing how close his hand and yours were. He moved his pinky closer, hooking it around yours, cautiously, giving you some time to pull away, but you didn’t. He cleared his throat, “S-So, um, you never told me why you’re back here.”

“You didn’t either,” you said with a cock of your brow.

He gestured to you, “Ladies, first.”

You nodded, “Very well. I told you I’m a culture studies,” Bucky nodded in confirmation, “Well, I’m here for a year to study abroad. I could’ve chosen any country in Europe, but I decided here to, again, redeem my former self.”

“How long have you been here already?”

“Four months, still got a long way to go. But the months have been going by so fast and I’ve been learning so much. It’s great!”

“So what school are you doing this through?”

“NYU,” you said proudly and Bucky choked on his own saliva.

“W-What? You go to NYU? I go to Columbia!”

Your jaw dropped, “You’re kidding!”

“I can’t believe it! We’ve been in the same state for what, five or six years now and we didn’t even know it?!”

You threw your head back as you laughed, “Oh that’s hilarious!” you moved your hand from Bucky to nudge him, “I think destiny is trying to tell us something.”

He licked his lips and rolled them in, a softness in his eyes, “Ya think?”

You shrugged, “I mean, two coincidences like this? Definitely a sign or something.”

Too caught up in your own conversation, you and Bucky didn’t hear the rest of the group’s discussion. Clint flicked Bucky’s hear and Bucky recoiled back, “Hey!”

Clint nodded behind him, “C’mon, we wanna check out the maze and we’re all done eating. You guys comin’ with?”

You and Bucky looked at each other, a mischievous glint in your eyes, “We’re coming.” 

Everyone packed up their stuff and stood up, heading over to where the maze was. Like during the tour, you and Bucky were walking at the back of the group. Bucky was murmuring to you, “Okay. So I’m gonna go in. Count to thirty and try to find me.” 

You smiled widely at him as he remembered the words you had spoken to him when you were twelve, “And when I find you? What’s my prize?” 

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” he winked at you as he hurried after the group, replaying his idea to the rest of them. You saw everyone nod their heads. The guys grouping together and the girls.

“C’mon, Y/N!” Wanda called out for you, waiting at the entrance. 

“Alright. Count to thirty, ladies,” Steve said coyly. 

Nat rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah. We know how to count. Go on already!” the guys stumbled over each other’s feet as they rushed into the madness that is the maze. 

An exciting buzz washed over your body like when the roles were reversed sixteen years ago. But this time, you were no longer the hunted. You were the hunter. 

When the three of you counted to the thirty, you shouted, “READY OR NOT HERE WE COME!” and ran into the maze. Let the hunt begin.

* * *

Bucky’s heart was pounding. He didn’t know if it was because he was rushing around the maze or because he was anxiously waiting for you to find him. As much as he was running away, he wanted you to find him. He wanted to return the favor that you gave him years ago. But this time, the kiss wouldn’t be so sloppy.

He turned a corner and immediately ran into Wanda, “Hey!” he held her by her shoulders, “Where’s Y/N?”

“Uuuhh she was behind me, but I’m not sure if she went the other way.”

“Buckyyyy!” you called out for him, bringing a smile to his face, “Where aaaare yooouu?”

“She sounds close. Alright. Thanks, Wanda!” he continued to go different directions. Left, right, right, straight, left, straight, right, le-AH!”

You ran into him and as soon as you realized it was him, you grabbed him by the shirt, pushed him against the maze wall, “Found you!”

He smiled proudly, “Guess you did, huh?”

“So, what’s my prize?”

Without another word, Bucky cupped your face and pulled you into a kiss, a much better kiss. It wasn’t awkward like before. This was passionate and desperate and a little bit hot. 

Bucky dropped one hand to your waist, wrapping his arm around you to pull you in closer, deepening the kiss. You pulled away for some air, your lips grazing against his, “Your kissing got a lot better,” you teased.

He chuckled, “Had a lot of practice these past sixteen years.”

“Interesting,” you muttered before pulling him in for another kiss. 

“Y/N, every-MY GOD!” you pulled away at Pietro’s cry of horror. He looked at you startled, eyes wide and mouth ajar, “Oh come on! How come you get to makeout with the beautiful blue eyes and I can’t even get Nat to smile at me!”

Bucky snickered, “She’s a tough one to crack, my friend.”

Pietro sighed, “Well, anyway, everyone is out now. Should we wait for you guys oooorrr…”

You cleared your throat, taking another step away from Bucky, “We’ll follow. Lead the way, Piet.”

The silver-blonde looked at you two cautiously before going back the way he came, heading towards the exit. You two, indeed, followed him, your hands laced with each other’s and giving each other a knowing glance. 

* * *

After spending another two hours at the gardens, it was time to say good-bye. Bucky and his friends were leaving to go to their next destination: Berlin and you were saddened by the news. 

“So…this is it,” you muttered, standing before Bucky next to the car they rented out.

He slowly nodded, “Yeah. God, I just found you again and I gotta leave. This sucks!”

You shrugged, “At least we found each other again. And well,” you looked into your bag, finding a receipt and pen, scribbling down your name, your number, your email, and your Skype contact, “Here,” you handed it to him, “So we can keep in touch?”

Bucky slowly took the receipt, fingers grazing over your name, “At least this time, I won’t lose you for good.” he leaned in and pecking your lips, “I’ll email you every day. It’s gonna be so annoying.”

You breathed out a small laugh, “I don’t mind.”

He sighed, looking down at your intertwined fingers, “We’ll see each other again, Y/N. I promise.” with one more kiss, Bucky got into the car with his friends. They all waved out the windows until you could no longer see them. Your shoulders sagged with grief.

* * *

You slowly exited the terminal. Your backpack on your back and your carry on suitcase rolling behind you. You were back in New York and you were anxious. After seeing Bucky again, true to his word, you two spoke every single day for the past eight months. Through the magic of Skype, you two were able to see each other. You had your first “date”, said your first “I love yous” and, well, you didn’t a little naughty stuff too. But let’s not focus on that. 

For the past eight months, Bucky Barnes has held your heart and you were anxious to see him in person. If he even came at all. You told him it was alright if he couldn’t pick you up, but he promised he would.

“I’ll make sure my entire day is free, just for you, Y/N,” he said with an excited grin. And you believed him.

Now that you were here, you weren’t so sure. Your eyes were scanning everywhere. You went on your tippy toes to try to find him, but you came empty handed. 

Then came a group of balloons in sight and a yell of your name, “Y/N!” Bucky pushed through the group of people, bolting right up to you and throwing his arms around you, holding you tight. The group of balloons eventually caught up to him and you realized they were attached to Steve, Nat, Sam, and Clint. 

“God, I missed you!” Bucky pulled back to press a deep, loving kiss to your lips. When he pulled away, he had the biggest grin on his face, “Hey, sweetheart.”

You melted under his gaze, “Hey, baby.”

“Welcome back,” he kissed you again, but was pulled away by Sam.

“Alright. Alright! Save it for the bedroom, Barnes! There’s kids around!” each of Bucky’s friends greeted you with a hug and welcoming words. 

One of Bucky’s arms remained on you. You all walked to baggage claim to collect the rest of your luggage. 

“So, now that you’re back, I was thinking we go on a real date.”

“What? You didn’t like sharing meals via computer screen?” you asked sarcastically.

“I loved our Skype dates, but I really wanna see you sitting across the table from me. I wanna see you stuff your face with breadsticks and wine. I wanna reach across the table and hold you hand. I wanna randomly lean over and kiss your lips.”

You pulled yourself from his embrace and moved to stand in front of him, cupping his face you spoke to him, “And we can do all of that, Bucky. We have all the time in the world now. Nothing can ever stop us now.” A mischievous smirk, like the very first one he saw when he was twelve, made a reappearance on your lips, “Vienna was just the beginning.”


End file.
